Transparent or translucent filled package exhibiting a colored appearance

ABSTRACT

The present invention is direct to a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application Serial No. 60/728,503, filed on Oct. 20, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a transparent or translucent, tinted container of a first color being filled with a tinted liquid of a second color, and more particularly, relates to such a transparent or translucent, tinted container that when filed with a tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of third color.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Effective and eye catching packaging for containing and displaying products on shelves of retail outlets has long been a goal of product manufacturer in order to make the product brand and its packaging distinct and memorable for consumers. Virtually endless variations of product containers have been developed over the years. Most successful products containers are designed to attract attention of passing consumers and some are fabricated with clear or translucent portions through which the product in the container can be viewed directly. As a matter of fact, clear or translucent containers that reveal their products have been found to be particularly effective as an incentive to the consumer to purchase the product. As well, many product containers have been designed with physical features that provide consumers with a pleasant, distinct, and memorable experience while the product is being used. This will provide a positive incentive for the consumer to re-purchase the product.

In order to provide a liquid product that is visually pleasing to the consumer manufacturers often alter the appearance of the liquid product or the container or both. Liquid products exhibiting colors not particularly pleasing to the consumer are often packaged in tinted, opaque plastic container. The tinted, opaque plastic container provides a visually pleasing appearance to the consumer by covering or masking the not so pleasing liquid product. Other liquid products are packaged in transparent, plastic containers. The liquid product is heavily tinted so that the filled packaged exhibits the tint of the liquid soap. The heavily tinted liquid product housed within the transparent, plastic container provides a visually pleasing appearance to the consumer. Another packaging alternative for liquid products is to provide a filled package that exhibits a colorless, transparent appearance. A colorless, transparent package provides a particularly pleasing appearance to the consumer.

However, it has now been discovered that a further liquid product and container can provide a color fusion, i.e. merging of elements into a unified whole, and a consumer delight. It has now been discovered that providing a transparent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and combining this with a transparent liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color, a resulting color fusion occurs in which the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperate such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits a transparent appearance having the tint of a third color.

Such a display would be uniquely attracting to passing consumers and thus would lead inexorably to increased sales of the brand of product sold in the container. As well, the repeated exposure of the consumer to the color fusion and the individual elements of the color fusion during the use of the product may lead to making a brand and a product more distinct and memorable. It is to the provision of just such a filled package that the present invention is directed.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transparent, tinted container being filled with a transparent, tinted liquid of a first color, and more particularly, to such a transparent, tinted container that when filed with a transparent, tinted liquid of a second color exhibits a transparent appearance having the tint of third color

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed the present invention will be better understood from the following description.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color.

A further embodiment of the present invention provides a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color, further wherein the tinted liquid exhibit an appearance selected from the group comprising a transparent appearance, a translucent appearance, or an opaque appearance and mixtures thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention provides that provides a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color wherein the filled package comprises a cap having the same color as the tint of the third color.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color wherein the tint of the third color matches a coordinating fragrance for the filled package.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color wherein the filled package comprises a back label comprising a graphic viewed through the bottle wherein the graphic is the same color as the tint of the second color of the liquid. In such an embodiment, this would provide a graphic that on shelf will not be obvious to a consumer, but as the consumer begins to use the filled package, the graphic will be revealed as the level of the liquid is reduced in the container.

A further embodiment of the present invention provides provides a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color wherein changing the level of tint for the second color will identify product types, product forms or product versions. A non-limiting example would be, to differentiate a shampoo product from a conditioner product, the two product liquids may be tinted with differing levels of tint, so that on shelf, the tint of a third color will appear differently for the shampoo product form and the conditioner product form. A further embodiment provides wherein changing the level of opacity or level of opaque for the second color of a liquid will identify product types, product forms or product versions.

A further embodiment of the present invention provides a filled package comprising a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color and further wherein changing the level of tint for the first color will identify product forms or product types. A non-limiting example would be, to differentiate a shampoo product from a conditioner product, the two liquids may be tinted with the same level of tint, but the level of tint for the first color, that of the container, will vary in level between the two products. Therefore, on shelf, the tint of a third color will appear differently for the shampoo product form and the conditioner product form.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the tint of the first color of the transparent or translucent container may be selected to signal a product group or a product family benefit and further wherein the tint of the second color of the liquid is selected to signal a product version and wherein the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color and further signals a product version. Non-limiting examples of such a product group or product family benefit examples may be a price tier group, a treatment group such as antidandruff, and a colored hair group. Non-limiting examples of a product version would be versions for straight hair, wavy hair, curly hair, blonde, brown or red hair, dry hair, and oily hair. Such versions may directed to a hair type or to an end benefit such as providing volume.

In another embodiment of the present invention, provides a filled package wherein the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color, and further providing a visible indicator of the amount of liquid remaining in the filled package. For example, the present invention may provide a solution to an unmet need. When a consumer uses a colorless transparent container in combination with a colorless liquid, it may be difficult to achieve a clear and distinct read on the amount or level of liquid in this container. The present invention provides for a clear indicator of the amount or level of liquid in a container as the combination of the tint of a first color for a transparent or translucent container with a liquid having a tint of a second color, and thus providing an appearance having the tint of a third color, provides a clear visual indicator of the amount of liquid product remaining in the filled package.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the filled package may comprise a liquid which may comprise two or more visually distinct phases. Further, in an embodiment, the filled package may comprise a liquid which may comprise beads, stripes or patterns. A non-limiting example would be wherein the liquid may comprise a bead which is colored white and such liquid may be combined with the tint of the liquid and the tint of a container thereby resulting in a minimizing or maximizing of the appearance of such beads.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color may further comprise a shimmer. Further, the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color may further comprise a shimmer or a sparkle wherein the liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color comprises a shimmer. In this embodiment, the fusion of the shimmer or a sparkle in the container with the shimmer of a liquid can provide a signal of product type or product version, along with providing an enhancement of the transparent, translucent, or opacity of the filled package. A liquid comprising a shimmer may created by adding, as a non-limiting example, mica and/or titanium dioxide.

In a further embodiment, the present invention may be used in the general areas of personal care products such as shampoos, conditioners, styling, skin care, and cleansing products, fabric care products, home care products, health care products, baby care products and food products.

The present invention can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the essential elements and limitations of the invention described herein, as well any of the additional or optional ingredients, components, or limitations described herein.

All percentages, parts and ratios are based upon the total weight of the compositions of the present invention, unless otherwise specified. All such weights as they pertain to listed ingredients are based on the active level and, therefore, do not include carriers or by-products that may be included in commercially available materials.

The components and/or steps, including those which may optionally be added, of the various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below.

All documents cited are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.

All ratios are weight ratios unless specifically stated otherwise.

All temperatures are in degrees Celsius, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Except as otherwise noted, all amounts including quantities, percentages, portions, and proportions, are understood to be modified by the word “about”, and amounts are not intended to indicate significant digits.

Except as otherwise noted, the articles “a”, “an”, and “the” mean “one or more”

Herein, “comprising” means that other steps and other ingredients which do not affect the end result can be added. This term encompasses the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”. The compositions and methods/processes of the present invention can comprise, consist of, and consist essentially of the essential elements and limitations of the invention described herein, as well as any of the additional or optional ingredients, components, steps, or limitations described herein.

Herein, “effective” means an amount of a subject active high enough to provide a significant positive modification of the condition to be treated. An effective amount of the subject active will vary with the particular condition being treated, the severity of the condition, the duration of the treatment, the nature of concurrent treatment, and like factors.

The container of the present invention may be made of any known conventional material. In one embodiment, the container is preferably made of synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The container may also be made of other resins such as a glycol modified PET copolymer (PETG), polycarbonate, extrudable polyethylene terephthalate (EPET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), or any other suitable synthetic resins which exhibit a transparent or translucent appearance. It will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that body may be any shape, e.g. cylindrical, round, square, oblong, etc.

The containers can be made of any conventional polymers, as long as the containers have a transparent and/or translucent appearance. For the transparent appearance, it is preferred to use polyethylene terephthalate. The translucent appearance can be achieved by, a non-limiting example being, wall thickness of material, surface geometry (i.e. the less smooth or uniform the surface the less clear or more translucent to opaque the material becomes), treatments of the transparent containers, the addition of ingredients such as dyes, pigments, pearlescent (non-limiting examples, Mica or silica particles ranging in size from 5-50 microns) or sparkle and/or shimmer (non-limiting examples, large visible particles made up of silica in a size range from 50-75 microns) agents to base polymers, the use of polypropylene and/or polyethylene which can be mixed with clarifying agents, or the use of label or shrink film having a translucent appearance. A non-limiting example would be a translucent shrink film or shrink sleeve may be used to achieve the appearance of a color or tint of the container. The treatments include, a non-limiting example being spray coating (non-limiting examples, fine particles are sprayed to the surface of the container and the container is coated by the fine particles, thus, the container has a translucent appearance), sandblasting, and mold surface treatment (non-limiting example being by forming fine undulation on the surface of the mold, the container made in the mold has fine undulation on the surface, thus, the container has translucent appearance).

In an embodiment of the present invention, a translucent appearance allows enough light into the container to enable the tinted color of the liquid product to fuse with the tinted color of the container to deliver the desired third color of the product, but wherein the consumer is unable to see completely through the wall of the container. A translucent appearance can be one where objects beyond the liquid product cannot be seen clearly. In another embodiment, a transparent appearance can be a translucent appearance that allows the consumer to see completely through the wall of the container. Therefore, the translucency of the container may be of such an amount or degree to allow enough light into the container to enable the amount of tint of the container to cooperate with the amount of tint in the liquid product such that the filled container exhibits a different color appearance from either the container or liquid product individually.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, an opaque appearance can be one in which a consumer can not see into the product or can not see through the product to the back wall of a container.

To make the transparent, tinted container of the present invention, a tinted preform is first formed on a conventional injection mold. Flakes or pelletized PET resin is fed from a hopper into an extruder where the PET resin is heated to fluidize the resin. An exemplary PET resin is available from Eastman Chemical Company.

Color tinting can be added in either a dry (a non-limiting example being granular) or liquid fashion that is consistent and compatible with the base resin. The tint can be added to the plasticized resin, typically through the use of a master batch containing a separate carrier resin, at levels which will allow the desired tint to be achieved. At the end of the barrel the colored/plasticized resin is fed into a shooting pot in preparation for injection molding. The shooting pot is filled through a shuttle valve; high pressure hydraulic oil then drives the shooting pot piston forward filling the mold. This allows the extruder to continuously plasticize throughout the cycle, and results in higher throughput with a more homogeneous melt. The mold can be a multi cavity mold creating many (for example, 16-96) tinted preforms at a time. The finished tinted preforms can be stored and subsequently blown into transparent, tinted containers in the standard fashion. After being blown, the transparent, tinted containers can then be filled with a transparent, tinted liquid product and sealed. To note, PET bottles can be made in 1-step injection blow molded (a non-limiting example being no preform) or in a 2-step injection stretch blow molded (preform, reheat and blow) and manner. PETG, PP and HDPE bottles can be extrusion blow molded.

The tinting of the container should be of such an amount or degree to cooperate with the amount of tint in the liquid product such that the filled container exhibits a different color appearance from either the container or liquid product individually. The necessary amount of tinting for the container will be determined by the amount of tint that the liquid product exhibits and the desired final color appearance of the product/container combination.

The color generated by the tint in the container can be defined via L, a, and b values using a specified light source or transmittance readings at across the visible light wavelength spectrum using a spectrophotometer. Once L, a, and b values or transmittance values to deliver the desired container color are established, production of the containers can be monitored via spectrophotometer to ensure the desired color is consistently produced.

The container of the present invention can have a print directly on the bottle or tube, or by the use of a label or film having prints. Such prints include, as non-limiting examples, brand name/logo marks, product name, product benefits, drawings, names of ingredients. The containers with or without label/film can have other features, especially aesthetic features. Such aesthetic features include, as non-limiting examples, textures, embossing, lenticular lens, simulated motion, scent (activated with or without scratching the label), colors such as fluorescence, metallic color (with or without 3D-like effect), holograms, frosted or matte color, gradation of color, gradation of transparency, colored transparent/translucent appearance, graphics which are on the back side of the container and which can be seen from the front side of the container.

In an embodiment of the present invention, one or more labels may be adhered to the outer periphery of the container body. In this disclosure the term “obverse surface” may mean the label surface exposed to the outside on which an insignia or instructions may be printed. Similarly, the term “reverse surface” or “inside” may mean the surface of the label facing the outer periphery of the container. In one embodiment, the front label may be a colorless, transparent material, a non-limiting example being plastic, having the appropriate insignia or instructions printed thereon. A colorless front label may facilitate in highlighting and reinforcing the tinted, transparent appearance of the present invention.

A back label may be of white paper, poly, or plastic stock having printing on both sides thereof. Printing on the reverse surface of the paper, poly or plastic stock may be a continuous uniform color, that may gradually lighter as it nears the labels outer edges. This may serve as a pleasing background which highlights the printing on the clear front label. So as to compliment the tinting of the container, the color of the back label may be consistent with i.e. relatively near, to the color or tint of the container.

A further embodiment, the transparent or translucent container may comprise a back label having a color which contributes to the appearance and color of the filled package, and have an effect of the appearance of the tint of the third color. Such a back label having such a color may also contribute to signaling a product version or product type.

EXAMPLES

The following examples further describe and demonstrate embodiments within the scope of the present invention. The examples are given solely for the purpose of illustration, and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention since many variations thereof are possible without departing from its scope.

A filled package is made according to the following description.

A liquid shampoo composition can be prepared by any conventional method well known in the art. The liquid compositions of the present invention may be prepared by any known or otherwise effective technique. Methods for preparing the shampoo embodiments of the present invention include conventional formulation and mixing techniques. A liquid shampoo composition can comprise the following: Component Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Sodium Laureth Sulfate 7.00 7.00 7.00 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate 7.00 7.00 7.00 Cocamidopropyl Betaine 2.10 2.10 2.10 Fragrance 0.800 0.800 0.800 Sodium Chloride 0.300 0.30 0.300 Cocamide MEA 0.500 0.500 0.500 Sodium Benzoate 0.250 0.250 0.250 Tetrasodium EDTA 0.1304 0.1304 0.1304 Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium 0.0490 0.0490 0.0490 Chloride Linoleamidopropyl PG-dimonium 0.075 0.075 0.075 Chloride Phosphate Citric acid (anhydrous form) 0.02000 0.02000 0.02000 Ext. Violet 2/CI 60730 0.001575 D&C Yellow No. 5/CI 19140 0.000100 D&C Yellow No. 10/CI 47005 0.000999 0.000981 D&C Blue No. 1/CI 42090 0.000079 Methylchloroisothiazolinone 0.000426 0.000426 0.000426 Methylisothiazolinone 0.000142 0.000142 0.000142 Water QS QS QS Composition Tint Violet Yellow Yellow Container Tint Magenta Magenta Blue Product Appearance Purple Orange Green

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”.

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention. 

1. A filled package comprising: (a) a transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and being adapted to house a liquid; and (b) a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color and being housed in said container, the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color.
 2. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color, further wherein the tinted liquid exhibit an appearance selected from the group comprising a transparent appearance, a translucent appearance, or an opaque appearance and mixtures thereof.
 3. The filled package according to claim 2 wherein the tinted liquid exhibits a transparent appearance.
 4. The filled package according to claim 2 wherein the tinted liquid exhibits a translucent appearance.
 5. The filled package according to claim 2 wherein the tinted liquid exhibits an opaque appearance.
 6. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein the filled package comprises a cap having the same color as the tint of the third color.
 7. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein the tint of the third color matches a coordinating fragrance for the filled package.
 8. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein said liquid is a personal care composition.
 9. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein said container is made of plastic.
 10. The filled package according to claim 6 wherein material comprising said container is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, extrudable polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, oriented polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, high density polyethylene and low density polyethylene.
 11. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein the filled package comprises a back label comprising a graphic viewed through the bottle wherein the graphic is the same color as the tint of the second color of the liquid.
 12. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein changing the level of tint for the second color will identify product types or product versions.
 13. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein changing the level of opacity for the second color will identify product types or product versions.
 14. The filled package according to claim 1 wherein changing the level of tint for the first color will identify product types or product versions.
 15. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color and a liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color which is different than the first color the tint of the first color of the container and the tint of the second color of said liquid cooperating such that the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color and further provides a visible indicator of the amount of liquid remaining in the filled package.
 16. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the tint of the first color of the transparent or translucent container is selected to signal a product group benefit and further wherein the tint of the second color of the liquid is selected to signal a product version and wherein the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibits an appearance having the tint of a third color and signals a product version.
 17. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the liquid comprises two or more visually distinct phases.
 18. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the liquid comprises beads, stripes or patterns.
 19. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the transparent or translucent container comprises a back label having a color which contributes to the tinted container when filled with the tinted liquid exhibiting an appearance having the tint of a third color.
 20. The filled package of claim 19 wherein the back label having a color signals a product version.
 21. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color further comprises a shimmer.
 22. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color further comprises a sparkle.
 23. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color further comprises a shimmer and wherein the liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color comprises a shimmer.
 24. The filled package of claim 1 wherein the transparent or translucent container exhibiting the tint of a first color further comprises a sparkle and wherein the liquid exhibiting the tint of a second color comprises a shimmer. 